Shock absorber for automobiles



L. R. HUNT. SHOCK ABSORBER FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.4,1919.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922 STATS i LLOYD R. HUNT, OFLEZECINGTQN, EFQREH CAROLINA.

SHOCK. .QBSORBER EQB AUTGMOBILEfS.

mosses.

Application filed. December more. Serial mi. 342,:l75.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD R. HUNT, a citizen of the United States. residing at Lexington, in the county of Davidson and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock Absorbers for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to shock absorbers for vehicles, and more especially for automobiles, for reducing or minimizing shocks or Severe vibrations between the running gear and the body of the vehicle, due to the passage of the vehicle over rough surfaces in the road or pavement. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple device of this kind which can be manufactured inexpensively, applied easily and quickly to automobiles generally, and especially to those of the Ford type, without requiring special fitting of the device or alteration of any of the existing ports of the vehicle, and which in operation will effectively control and minimize the rebound of the body of the vehicle due to reaction of the springs, thus minimizing wear and tear on the tires and. running gear, reducing strains and vibrations upon the operating mechanism. svoideing spring: breakage tl1 l also improving greatly the riding qualities of the vehicle.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combine.- tions and arrangements or parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out Pltlhliflb lnrly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view oi? the rear portion of the chassis of at Ford llllllOlHObilB. equipped with a shoclc' absorber constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view of one of the elements of the shock absorber.

Figure 3 represents a trzinsversc section through one of the side members of the "frame of a Ford automobile. illustratinp the manner in which the respective shoclc ab- Sorber member is attached thereto, and

Figure :l: is a detail perspective view of the parts used on each shock absorber element for attaching it to the frame of a. vehicle.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

Shock absorbers or snubbers embodying the present invention are applicable generally to automobiles of various types and they are particularly adapted to minimize 80 and control the rebound or upward motiol'i' of the body or the vehicle due to the reaction or eiqoansion of the vehicle springsin con sequence of the passage of the vehicle over a hole or rough surface in the road or pave 66 ment. The preferred embodiment of the in vention is shown in the accompanying-draw- .imz. and will be hereinafter described in do l tall as applied to an automobile of one well known type, but it is to be understood that 70 the invention is not restricted in its application to such a particular type of automobile, and furthermore it will be understood tlist the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown, as equivalent constructions are contemplated and will be included Within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, a portion of the chassis of on automobile of the Ford type is shown, it comprising side members 180 and a rear cross member 2 of the frame, the rear isle 3 and a spring 4 which is inten posed between the axle and the body and serves to resiliently support the body on the axle. -Ih-dinarilv the springs between the fit axles and the frame or body of an automobile are uncontrolled in their action, and a consequence. when a wheel, or the wheels of :in automobile pass over a rough or uneven surface in the road or pavement, the springs become compressed, due to the impactproduced. between the body and the' iixles. and this compression of the springs is followed immediately by reaction or expansion oi the springs which produces n sudden, '95 and in some (8888, it severe rebound offlthe body of the vehicle which is not only un'cJom fortable to the occupants, out it strains the springs and frequently causes breakage tl1ereof. it strains the operating mechanism and the running: gear, and it also produces undue wear and tear upon the tires. The present, invention provides simple, easily applied, and cll'cctivc means for reducing and appropriatcly controlling this rebound of the springs. Preferably, and as shown the dc vico comprises a pair of inextensible straps .3 which are preferably composed of leather oi appropriate width 'a d thickness, aithougrh they may be composed of webbin or other appropriate material of suitnbe strength. linin s (l at the ends of the straps by means of which the straps may be attached to the "frame or chassis of the vehicle,

springs 7 which automaticallycontrol the action of the straps 5 in reducing the re bound, and a member 8 by means of which the springs are connected to the chassis of the vehicle. in applying the device to a vehicle, the intermediate portions of the 7 are extended upwardly and forwardly of the axle and are .Lttached to the side members 1 of the frame, while the ends of the straps-which pass over the rear member 2 of the frame extend forwardly, they are connected at their forward ends to the tension springs i which are preferably of the coil type, as shown, and the forward ends of these coil springs are connected preferably to the middle of a cable or rod 8, the

opposite ends of this cable or rod 8 being secured to the side frames of the chassis. By this arran ementthe springs 7 which are always under suitable tension, tend to draw the straps 5 against the axle and for- Wardly across the top of the rear member 2 of the frame, in consequence of which a frictional engagement will bemaintained between. the straps and the axle and rear frame member. hen the vehicle springs 4 are compressed, due to the vehicle passing over a rough or uneven surface in the road or pavement, the vertical distance between the axle and the body or frame of the vehicle is reduced and the springs 7 then act to draw the straps 5 upwardly from beneath the axle and forwardly across the top of the rear frame member 2. When the recoil or reaction of the vehicle springs occurs, sudden. rebound of the frame or body of the vehicle is prevented by the straps, as those ends of the straos which pass under the axle are connected directly to the sidemembers of the frame, in consequence of which the upward movement of the frame or body can only take place slowly and as iplermitt ed by the sliding of the straps under the axle and over the rcar meni ber 2 of the frame, and the frictional resistance to this movement of the straps is afforded by the vehicle to a moderate degree, although when.

the rebound occurs, thefl force of the rebound";

is sustained by the opposite endsof the straps which, are directly and inelastically attached to the frame. In attaching these ends of the straps to the, respective side members of the frame, it is preferable to loop these ends of the straps around the side frame 1, as shown. It'is, therefore, preferable to provide this end of each strap with-- a clevis 9 which may be attached to the end of the respective strap by a screw or bolt 10 which is secured in a doubled portion of the strap, the opposite end of the strap being passed through this clevis, as shown in Figure 3.

I claim as my invention-- 1. A rebound check for vehicles of the type having springs for supporting the vehicleframe and body on the axles, comprising a pair of flexible straps having their intermediate portions looped obliquely underv and frictionally engaging e axle and looped obliquely over and frictionally engaging a cross member of the frame, each strap having means at one end for attaching it to the 'respa'tive side member of the frame and having its opposite end arranged to extend longitudinally of the'frame and convcrgently toward its longitudinal center at one side of the cross member over which the strap is looped, and means for tension.- ing the convergent ends of the straps.

2. A rebound check for vehicles of the type having springs for supporting the vehicle frame and body on the axles comprising apair of flexible straps having their intermediate portions looped obliquely under the axle and over a cross member ofthe frame, to frictionally slide on said axle and crossniember in conseqi-ience of relative ver" ticalmovementsbctween the frame and axle, the ends of the straps which are 100 ed under the axle being extended upwari ly and w'livergently outwardly and provided with means for inelastically connecting tlieln' to the respective sides of the frame and the ends of the straps which are looped over the cross member of .theframe extending convergently inwardly and l ongitudin all therefrom, and means for tensioning t 0 convergent ends of the straps.

3. A rebound check for vehicles of the D6 having springs for supporting the veele frame and body on the axles comprisa pair of flexible straps adapted to be looped undelthe axle and over a cross mem- 'ber of the frame to frictionally engage the prising a pair of axle and said cross member, means an aha end of web strap which emiehs benaath 31m axle f0! fixing such. end 0f the swap $30 respective side member of the frame, a stretched between the side members frame and spaced longitudinaiiy of the @0955 member there? over which the; stands looped, and rtensionii'ig; means wi'mecting ends of the straps, which are hoped over the) crass member to said shay.

4:. A shock absorber for automobiles 20mfiexible straps, intern (hate, portions of which are 1003966. undei' i. m axle and over a cmss member of the the. ends of the straps whish are loops ii under the axle extending divergamiy upwmei.

Nani-mum)" n 

